London - A new partnership between Chinese denim producer Prosperity Textile and
Italian weaving machinery supplier Itema signifies a step in the right
direction for sustainability. The partnership will see Prosperity using
Itema’s new waste-saving iSAVERTM weaving technology in its new factory in
Vietnam. The new machine, developed by ItemaLabTM, is able to completely
eliminate the left-hand ‘weft’ waste usually produced during weaving,
reducing the need for additional yarns.

Itema estimates that iSAVERTM will save 1,000 kilograms of cotton per
machine per year (3 percent of the total raw materials), avoiding the waste
of 20 million litres of water. This will result in 2,000 euros of savings
per machine per year. By significantly reducing raw material waste, the
iSAVERTM benefits in terms of efficiency, cost reduction and energy saving.
Last year, Prosperity produced 20 percent more fabrics than 2016, yet the water
and electricity use and greenhouse gas emission was down by 11.5 percent,
7.9 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively.

Prosperity’s denim production focuses on targeting sustainable sources,
from BCI to organic and recycled cotton, from TencelTM Lyocell to
SustansTM. In 2017, more than 20 million yards worth of the fabric sales
from Prosperity was made using sustainable fibres. The new partnership will
be showcased at the denim fair Kingpins in Amsterdam between 24-25
October.